July 18 – July 24The Week in Indiana History |
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“Enjoy the little things in life because one day you’ll look back and realize they were the big things.” – – – Kurt Vonnegut (1922 – 2007) Did You Know?   In March of 1880, Wabash, Indiana, made history by becoming the “first electrically lighted city in the world.” An inventor named Charles F. Brush had devised an electric arc system which could illuminate large outdoor areas. HIs lamps were placed on a flag staff on the dome of the Wabash County Courthouse. Each lamp was rated at 3,000 candle power. A crowd gathered after dark to witness the event. An observer reported that “the people stood almost breathless, overwhelmed with awe, as if in the presence of the supernatural. . . the strange, weird light, exceeded in power only by the sun, rendered the square as light as midday.”
ANSWERS:Â Lake, Vigo, Newton, Vermillion
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1927   Edna Browning Ruby, from Lafayette, was named the “Outstanding Business Woman of the Year.” The honor was bestowed by the National Federation of Business and Professional Women’s Clubs. She had already earned gold medals and other honors for her artistic talent in designing stained glass windows for churches. She was also considered one of the nation’s leaders in textile design.
1935   The Boone County Rural Electric Membership Corporation (REMC) became the first federally-funded electric utility in the state and one of the first in the nation. Although many cities and towns already had electrical power, most rural areas were still without it. Other counties soon came on line as crews went from farmhouse to farmhouse installing wires, fuse boxes, and outlets.
1969   Purdue University engineering graduate Neil Armstrong became the first person to walk on the surface of the moon. He was 239,000 miles from home when he stepped from the lunar module Eagle and said, “That’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.” He was on the mission with Astronauts Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin and Michael Collins.
